Oliver Flynn’s Story

O Warrior Stories

Written by: Heather Hunsicker

Hi this is my son, Oliver Flynn’s story. He is a rainbow baby (I had 2 miscarriages and was told I wouldn’t be able to have kids), and to say he was a surprise was an understatement. Since I am 40 they had me make a maternal fetal medicine appointment and at my 12 week scan they gave us the news that he has an Omphalocele and they couldn’t be sure how many or what was inside the sac but it was the same size as his head so they feared it was more then one organ. 

They theorized 4 organs and when he was born we found out it was 5 organs; his liver, stomach, colon, kidney, and bowel are inside his Omphalocele. He was born at exactly 37 weeks on his father’s birthday February 26th via C-section at the University of Philadelphia Hospital and immediately taken to the NICU at CHOP. He was 6lbs 2oz and 17.3 inches long. He did not have to be put on oxygen and for the first 3 days he did not have to have an NG feeding tube but he came down with a fever and since that day he has had an NG feeding tube in for the rest of what he won’t take by mouth. They did the paint and wait method with his Omphalocele since it was too large to have surgery until he grew.

We were in the NICU at CHOP for 97 days until he was released on June 1st! He is currently 10 months months old and thriving! He is the light of our lives and a complete miracle! From having 2 miscarriages and being told I would not be able to have children to having a child with issues was all so overwhelming but I would not change a thing.